Speaker devices are often connected with microphones in public scenarios in order to amplify their voices for transmission or distribution to large groups of people or in large arenas. Microphones can be handheld, podium placed, or connected via lapel. There are many known instances where speakers forget that they have microphones that are amplifying their speech, and continue to speak in ostensibly private conversations where their speech continues to be amplified to a broader audience. In other cases, the original speaker that was using the microphone is no longer present, and other speakers—not aware of the amplification system—have come to the podium or area where microphones are active. They may be engaged in “private” conversations that are inadvertently being amplified to a larger audience. This leads to potentially embarrassing situations. These problems can arise with all types of microphones, and in all types of meetings—lectures, or public speeches.
Many conference call systems and speaker phones have the capability to announce periodically that the system has been in use for an extended period of time, and to ask the user to confirm by pressing a button their continuing need to have the conference call “open.” This is only partially efficient. First, it occurs only during certain time intervals, and during the intervening time there might be unintended participants in the room. For example, the individuals that set up the conference call might have concluded, but left the conference room without formally disconnecting the conference call. A new set of individuals may have entered the conference room and may be speaking, unaware that the conference call is “on” and that their “side comments” are being transmitted or distributed to others that may still be on the conference call. Second, in some cases it is not easy for the caller to confirm via key press that he is or is not interested in continuing the conference call; for example if the caller is in a hands-busy situation, such as driving. Third, in cases where the speakers are interested in continuing the conference call, a query to press a button to continue the conference call can be intrusive and disturbing.
Existing systems may provide visual indications that conference phones are active, for example, by displaying a green light. Existing systems may also provide visual indications for microphones as well, with, for example, a red light indicating that the microphone is “active.” The frequency of these signals being ignored by users, however, indicates that the existing solutions are not successfully providing speakers with the cues that they need.